as in chat
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
at the corporate get-together we made the obligatory small talk with some people from the home office
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Recent Examples of small talk
Individuals were randomly assigned to either be as efficient as possible when placing their order - no small talk with the staff - or to be more social with the barista.
—
Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 9 May 2026
Another subtler contributor may be the loss of small talk among people in public spaces.
—Markham Heid, Time, 28 Apr. 2026
The clips were mostly small talk, excluding in one instance where Heuermann appeared to boss around his family.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Aunt Lydia has not raised these girls for small talk.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for small talk
Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 9 May 2026
Another subtler contributor may be the loss of small talk among people in public spaces.
—Markham Heid, Time, 28 Apr. 2026
The clips were mostly small talk, excluding in one instance where Heuermann appeared to boss around his family.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Aunt Lydia has not raised these girls for small talk.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for small talk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small talk
Noun
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But the nature of the chat will be greatly determined by how well or how poorly the devised AI persona was shaped.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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The mere mention of the vaginal microbiome outside of the gyno’s office or group chats was once off limits.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Peace talks face a key hurdle in Tehran’s insistence on keeping enriched uranium stockpile within the country and levying tolls for passage via the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
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Further talks are expected over a longer term deal.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
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But with all the chatter from both sides about how tight the series has been, how even the chances have been, and how opportunistic Vegas has been while Colorado has not, the easiest solution to that is for Colorado’s goaltending to be better.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
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Entering the season, much of the chatter surrounding the bullpen centered on the addition of closer Edwin Díaz.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Noun
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When the table talk turns political, Hagains suggests shifting your approach instead of your mood.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Nov. 2025
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Each monthly box includes three recipe guides, skill lessons, a kitchen tool, a kitchen project, an apron patch, table talk cards, and a grocery list.—
Jessica Booth,
Parents,
16 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Small talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20talk. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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